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INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
XXXXXX STRATEGIC MUNICIPAL INCOME TRUST
000 XXXXX XXXXXXXXX XXXXX
XXXXXXX, XXXXXXXX 00000
SEPTEMBER 7, 1998
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Investments, Inc.
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
Ladies and Gentlemen:
XXXXXX STRATEGIC MUNICIPAL INCOME TRUST (the "Fund") has been established as a
Massachusetts business trust to engage in the business of an investment company.
The Fund has issued shares of beneficial interest (the "Shares").
The Fund has selected you to act as the investment manager of the Fund and to
provide certain other services, as more fully set forth below, and you have
indicated that you are willing to act as such investment manager and to perform
such services under the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth. Accordingly,
the Fund agrees with you as follows:
1. Delivery of Documents. The Fund engages in the business of investing and
reinvesting its assets in the manner and in accordance with its investment
objectives, policies and restrictions. The Fund has furnished you with copies
properly certified or authenticated of each of the following documents related
to the Fund:
(a) The Declaration of Trust ("Declaration"), as amended to date.
(b) By-Laws of the Fund as in effect on the date hereof (the
"By-Laws").
(c) Resolutions of the Trustees of the Fund and the shareholders of
the Fund selecting you as investment manager and approving the
form of this Agreement.
The Fund will furnish you from time to time with copies, properly certified or
authenticated, of all amendments of or supplements, if any, to the foregoing.
2. Portfolio Management Services. As manager of the assets of the Fund, you
shall provide continuing investment management of the assets of the Fund in
accordance with its investment objectives, policies and restrictions; the
applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act") and
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (the "Code") relating to
regulated investment companies and all rules and regulations thereunder; and all
other applicable federal and state laws and regulations of which you have
knowledge; subject always to policies and instructions adopted by the Fund's
Board of Trustees. In connection therewith, you shall use reasonable efforts to
manage the Fund so that it will qualify as a regulated investment company under
Subchapter M of the Code and regulations issued thereunder. The Fund shall have
the benefit of the investment analysis and research, the review of current
economic conditions and trends and the consideration of long-range investment
policy generally available to your investment advisory clients. In managing the
Fund in accordance with the requirements set forth in this section 2, you shall
be entitled to receive and act upon advice of counsel to the Fund. You shall
also make available to the Fund promptly upon request all of the Fund's
investment records and ledgers
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as are necessary to assist the Fund in complying with the requirements of the
1940 Act and other applicable laws. To the extent required by law, you shall
furnish to regulatory authorities having the requisite authority any information
or reports in connection with the services provided pursuant to this Agreement
which may be requested in order to ascertain whether the operations of the Fund
are being conducted in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations.
You shall determine the securities, instruments, investments, currencies,
repurchase agreements, futures, options and other contracts relating to
investments to be purchased, sold or entered into by the Fund and place orders
with broker-dealers, foreign currency dealers, futures commission merchants or
others pursuant to your determinations and all in accordance with Fund policies.
You shall determine what portion of the Fund's portfolio shall be invested in
securities and other assets and what portion, if any, should be held uninvested.
You shall furnish to the Fund's Board of Trustees periodic reports on the
investment performance of the Fund and on the performance of your obligations
pursuant to this Agreement, and you shall supply such additional reports and
information as the Fund's officers or Board of Trustees shall reasonably
request.
3. Administrative Services. In addition to the portfolio management services
specified above in section 2, you shall furnish at your expense for the use of
the Fund such office space and facilities in the United States as the Fund may
require for its reasonable needs, and you (or one or more of your affiliates
designated by you) shall render to the Fund administrative services on behalf of
the Fund necessary for operating as a closed-end investment company and not
provided by persons not parties to this Agreement including, but not limited to,
preparing reports to and meeting materials for the Fund's Board of Trustees and
reports and notices to Fund shareholders; supervising, negotiating contractual
arrangements with, to the extent appropriate, and monitoring the performance of,
accounting agents, custodians, depositories, transfer agents and pricing agents,
accountants, attorneys, printers, underwriters, brokers and dealers, insurers
and other persons in any capacity deemed to be necessary or desirable to Fund
operations; preparing and making filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "SEC") and other regulatory and self-regulatory organizations,
including, but not limited to, preliminary and definitive proxy materials,
post-effective amendments to the Fund's Registration Statement, and semi-annual
reports on Form N-SAR; overseeing the tabulation of proxies by the Fund's
transfer agent; assisting in the preparation and filing of the Fund's federal,
state and local tax returns; preparing and filing the Fund's federal excise tax
return pursuant to Section 4982 of the Code; providing assistance with investor
and public relations matters; monitoring the valuation of portfolio securities
and the calculation of net asset value; monitoring the registration of Shares of
the Fund under applicable federal and state securities laws; maintaining or
causing to be maintained for the Fund all books, records and reports and any
other information required under the 1940 Act, to the extent that such books,
records and reports and other information are not maintained by the Fund's
custodian or other agents of the Fund; assisting in establishing the accounting
policies of the Fund; assisting in the resolution of accounting issues that may
arise with respect to the Fund's operations and consulting with the Fund's
independent accountants, legal counsel and the Fund's other agents as necessary
in connection therewith; establishing and monitoring the Fund's operating
expense budgets; reviewing the Fund's bills; processing the payment of bills
that have been approved by an authorized person; assisting the Fund in
determining the amount of dividends and distributions available to be paid by
the Fund to its shareholders, preparing and arranging for the printing of
dividend notices to shareholders, and providing the transfer and dividend paying
agent, the custodian, and the accounting agent with such information as is
required for such parties to effect the payment of dividends and distributions;
and otherwise assisting the Fund as it may reasonably request in the conduct of
the Fund's business, subject to the direction and control of the Fund's Board of
Trustees. Nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to shift to you or to
diminish the obligations of any agent of the Fund or any other person not a
party to this Agreement which is obligated to provide services to the Fund.
4. Allocation of Charges and Expenses. Except as otherwise specifically provided
in this section 4, you shall pay the compensation and expenses of all Trustees,
officers and executive employees of the Fund (including the Fund's share of
payroll taxes) who are affiliated persons of you, and you shall make available,
without expense to the Fund,
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the services of such of your directors, officers and employees as may duly be
elected officers of the Fund, subject to their individual consent to serve and
to any limitations imposed by law. You shall provide at your expense the
portfolio management services described in section 2 hereof and the
administrative services described in section 3 hereof.
You shall not be required to pay any expenses of the Fund other than those
specifically allocated to you in this section 4. In particular, but without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, you shall not be responsible, except
to the extent of the reasonable compensation of such of the Fund's Trustees and
officers as are directors, officers or employees of you whose services may be
involved, for the following expenses of the Fund: organization expenses of the
Fund (including out of-pocket expenses, but not including your overhead or
employee costs); fees payable to you and to any other Fund advisors or
consultants; legal expenses; auditing and accounting expenses; maintenance of
books and records which are required to be maintained by the Fund's custodian or
other agents of the Fund; telephone, telex, facsimile, postage and other
communications expenses; taxes and governmental fees; fees, dues and expenses
incurred by the Fund in connection with membership in investment company trade
organizations; fees and expenses of the Fund's accounting agent for which the
Fund is responsible pursuant to the terms of the Fund Accounting Services
Agreement, custodians, subcustodians, transfer agents, dividend disbursing
agents and registrars; payment for portfolio pricing or valuation services to
pricing agents, accountants, bankers and other specialists, if any; expenses of
preparing share certificates and, except as provided below in this section 4,
other expenses in connection with the issuance, offering, distribution, sale,
redemption or repurchase of securities issued by the Fund; expenses relating to
investor and public relations; expenses and fees of registering or qualifying
Shares of the Fund for sale; interest charges, bond premiums and other insurance
expense; freight, insurance and other charges in connection with the shipment of
the Fund's portfolio securities; the compensation and all expenses (specifically
including travel expenses relating to Fund business) of Trustees, officers and
employees of the Fund who are not affiliated persons of you; brokerage
commissions or other costs of acquiring or disposing of any portfolio securities
of the Fund; expenses of printing and distributing reports, notices and
dividends to shareholders; expenses of printing and mailing Prospectuses and
statements of additional information of the Fund and supplements thereto; costs
of stationery; any litigation expenses; indemnification of Trustees and officers
of the Fund; and costs of shareholders' and other meetings.
5. Management Fee. For all services to be rendered, payments to be made and
costs to be assumed by you as provided in sections 2, 3, and 4 hereof, the Fund
shall pay you in United States Dollars on the last day of each month the unpaid
balance of a fee equal to the excess of (a) 1/12 of .60 of 1 percent of the
average weekly net assets of the Fund for such month; over (b) any compensation
waived by you from time to time (as more fully described below). You shall be
entitled to receive during any month such interim payments of your fee hereunder
as you shall request, provided that no such payment shall exceed 75 percent of
the amount of your fee then accrued on the books of the Fund and unpaid.
The net asset value of the Fund shall be calculated at such time or times as the
Trustees may determine in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act. On
each day when net asset value is not calculated, the net asset value shall be
deemed to be the net asset value as of the close of business on the last day on
which such calculation was made for the purpose of the foregoing computations.
You may waive all or a portion of your fees provided for hereunder and such
waiver shall be treated as a reduction in purchase price of your services. You
shall be contractually bound hereunder by the terms of any publicly announced
waiver of your fee, or any limitation of the Fund's expenses, as if such waiver
or limitation were fully set forth herein.
6. Avoidance of Inconsistent Position; Services Not Exclusive. In connection
with purchases or sales of portfolio securities and other investments for the
account of the Fund, neither you nor any of your directors, officers or
employees shall act as a principal or agent or receive any commission. You or
your agent shall arrange for the
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placing of all orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities and
other investments for the Fund's account with brokers or dealers selected by you
in accordance with Fund policies. If any occasion should arise in which you give
any advice to clients of yours concerning the Shares of the Fund, you shall act
solely as investment counsel for such clients and not in any way on behalf of
the Fund.
Your services to the Fund pursuant to this Agreement are not to be deemed to be
exclusive and it is understood that you may render investment advice, management
and services to others. In acting under this Agreement, you shall be an
independent contractor and not an agent of the Fund. Whenever the Fund and one
or more other accounts or investment companies advised by you have available
funds for investment, investments suitable and appropriate for each shall be
allocated in accordance with procedures believed by you to be equitable to each
entity. Similarly, opportunities to sell securities shall be allocated in a
manner believed by you to be equitable. The Fund recognizes that in some cases
this procedure may adversely affect the size of the position that may be
acquired or disposed of for the Fund.
7. Limitation of Liability of Manager. As an inducement to your undertaking to
render services pursuant to this Agreement, the Fund agrees that you shall not
be liable under this Agreement for any error of judgment or mistake of law or
for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the matters to which this
Agreement relates, provided that nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to
protect or purport to protect you against any liability to the Fund or its
shareholders to which you would otherwise be subject by reason of willful
misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of your duties, or
by reason of your reckless disregard of your obligations and duties hereunder.
8. Duration and Termination of This Agreement. This Agreement shall remain in
force until April 1, 1998, and continue in force from year to year thereafter,
but only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually
(a) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to this
Agreement or interested persons of any party to this Agreement, cast in person
at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and (b) by the
Trustees of the Fund, or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of the Fund. The aforesaid requirement that continuance of this
Agreement be "specifically approved at least annually" shall be construed in a
manner consistent with the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and
any applicable SEC exemptive order therefrom.
This Agreement may be terminated with respect to the Fund at any time, without
the payment of any penalty, by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of the Fund or by the Fund's Board of Trustees on 60 days' written
notice to you, or by you on 60 days' written notice to the Fund. This Agreement
shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment.
This Agreement may be terminated with respect to the Fund at any time without
the payment of any penalty by the Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of
the outstanding voting securities of the Fund in the event that it shall have
been established by a court of competent jurisdiction that you or any of your
officers or directors has taken any action which results in a breach of your
covenants set forth herein.
9. Amendment of this Agreement. No provision of this Agreement may be changed,
waived, discharged or terminated orally, but only by an instrument in writing
signed by the party against whom enforcement of the change, waiver, discharge or
termination is sought, and no amendment of this Agreement shall be effective
until approved in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act and rules and
regulations thereunder and any applicable SEC exemptive order therefrom.
10. Limitation of Liability for Claims. The Declaration, a copy of which,
together with all amendments thereto, is on file in the Office of the Secretary
of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, provides that the name "Xxxxxx Strategic
Municipal Income Trust" refers to the Trustees under the Declaration
collectively as Trustees and not as individuals or personally, and that no
shareholder of the Fund, or Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Fund,
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shall be subject to claims against or obligations of the Fund to any extent
whatsoever, but that the Fund estate only shall be liable.
You are hereby expressly put on notice of the limitation of liability as set
forth in the Declaration and you agree that the obligations assumed by the Fund
pursuant to this Agreement shall be limited in all cases to the Fund and its
assets, and you shall not seek satisfaction of any such obligation from the
shareholders or any shareholder of the Fund, or from any Trustee, officer,
employee or agent of the Fund.
11. Miscellaneous. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience
of reference only and in no way define or limit any of the provisions hereof or
otherwise affect their construction or effect. This Agreement may be executed
simultaneously in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an
original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same
instrument.
In interpreting the provisions of this Agreement, the definitions contained in
Section 2(a) of the 1940 Act (particularly the definitions of "affiliated
person," "assignment" and "majority of the outstanding voting securities"), as
from time to time amended, shall be applied, subject, however, to such
exemptions as may be granted by the SEC by any rule, regulation or order.
This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, provided that nothing herein shall be construed
in a manner inconsistent with the 1940 Act, or in a manner which would cause the
Fund to fail to comply with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Code.
This Agreement shall supersede all prior investment advisory or management
agreements entered into between you and the Fund.
If you are in agreement with the foregoing, please execute the form of
acceptance on the accompanying counterpart of this letter and return such
counterpart to the Fund, whereupon this letter shall become a binding contract
effective as of the date of this Agreement.
Yours very truly,
XXXXXX STRATEGIC MUNICIPAL INCOME TRUST
By:
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President
The foregoing Agreement is hereby accepted as of the date hereof.
XXXXXXX XXXXXX INVESTMENTS, INC.
By:
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Treasurer
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